Renovated Forest Park to open soon

Denys Bucksten, Special to the Tribune

Lake Forest's $4 million Forest Park makeover remains in construction mode as a Memorial Day deadline passed without much park for the public to view or visit.

The historic park, just east of Lake and Deerpath roads at the lakefront, has been closed since Labor Day 2013. In March, Forest Park Project Board officials expected the park would open on a limited basis by Memorial Day. Wet weather delayed early spring construction, said project treasurer Peter Cherry, but heavy equipment should be gone soon. Ring Road then will provide limited access to the 30-acre park.

"Work is progressing quite well right now," Cherry said.

Officials had projected that the park would be completed by Sept. 1. Cherry said the board now expects to hand off the completed park to the city by October, along with $250,000 for the city to maintain the park.

Still visible from Lake Road on a recent weekend were wide expanses of un-landscaped open space, intersected by dirt roads dotted with construction equipment, as well as drift fences and orange plastic safety fences ringing the perimeters.

This spring professionals and volunteers descended on park, building on infrastructure done in 2013, including a new south parking lot, new Ring Road, electrical rewiring and sanitary sewer improvements.

Other improvements include cleared underbrush, trimmed and removed trees, newly planted trees, paths firm enough for buggies and bikes, and quartz sandstone to replace gravel in parking lots and at Belvedere Terrace.

Cherry said planting will be done in stages, with sections of the park closed for planting, then reopened and other sections closed. More than 100 species of plants and trees are being added to the park as nursery stock becomes available this summer, said officials.

Landscape and horticultural chairman of the project, Cliff Miller, said the crown jewels of the park are the spectacular "view sheds" which will allow visitors to view Lake Michigan from various points, the sightlines traversing the iconic east bluffs overlooking the city beach.

Miller said view sheds will go "from wide open grand views at the Ring Road entrance, to more intimate views as you walk through the park to the woods. There's a hierarchy of views based on higher levels of people using the park in different areas."

The $4 million project got off the ground in 2010 when city officials formed the Forest Park Project. The city gave $800,000 to the project and donors added $2.3 million, leaving the park project within $900,000 of its fundraising goal. Cherry said any deficit likely will be financed by conventional loans, adding that about 240 donors have made commitments through 2017.

Friends of the project have lauded the foresight of 19th century landscape architects Almerin Hotchkiss and O.C. Simonds, who envisioned and platted the park over 150 years ago.

In a 2007 biography, author Arthur H. Miller said "Hotchkiss took full advantage of the scenic and topographic features (of 1850s Lake Forest, including the trees, ravines and bluff overlooking Lake Michigan) …His general plan could be described as a city in a park… Lake Forest was laid out in an organic matter so that the topography, hydrology, and vegetative features guided the street plan, rather than a formal gridiron."

City Forester Chuck Myers said historic beauty and modern construction have been joined to create "the perfect setting for people to enjoy a park with vistas being created by managing the bluff and understory trees and opening up windows to (view) Lake Michigan."